An Unexpected Date
by seaweedbrainstories
Summary: Annabeth finds herself sitting alone in a restaurant, waiting for her date to show up. Will she be left to be humiliated? Or will someone come her way?
1. Chapter 1

**Friendly reminder that this chapter, and therefore, the birth of this story, was inspired by a textpost on insta.**

"Hello, Miss. Are you ready to order yet?"

I look up from my hands to see the small blonde waitress. "Oh, um, not quite," I say clumsily. "I'm still waiting for someone."

"That's alright," The blonde gives me a sympathetic smile. "Take all the time you need."

She turns and walks away, leaving me alone. I glance at the clock, my knee bouncing in anticipation. _He's coming, Annabeth. He wouldn't just leave you, would he?_ I subconsciously play with my jewlery, having nothing else to do but wait. My impatience starts to take over and I consider shooting him a text. So I do.

Five minutes go by and still no reply. Maybe his meeting went late and he hasn't gotten a chance to tell me. Maybe his phone died. _Yeah, that's it,_ I tell myself. I scan the room and as I do, I notice the stares. People are peering over their shoulders, watching me. Okay, maybe it has been twenty-five minutes, but he can't have possibly forgotten about our date. I'm brought back to my thoughts as the waitress returns for my order for the third time.

"All set?" She asks, pity painted all over her face.

"I'm sorry," I sigh, facing the fact that Luke might not show up after all. "Can you give me three more minutes?"

"Of course," She leaves me to my thoughts.

I run a hand through my hair-sprayed curls and check my phone for one last sign of hope. Nothing. I grab my jacket and begin stuffing my things into my bag. I can't bear the burning of everyone's eyes into my back any longer. Humiliated, I stand up and begin to leave.

"Babe!" A shout echoes through the restaurant. "Babe, I'm so sorry I'm late! Traffic from work was terrible!" A young man, who I've never seen before, comes rushing towards me. I freeze, and in my confusion, he pulls me into a hug and plants a kiss on my forehead. "You look stunning. Hope you didn't eat without me."

He gives me an odd look that seems to say 'just go with it' so I sit back down, still in shock. The people around me stop their staring, clearly not interested now that my 'boyfriend' turned up.

"I hope you don't mind," he says softly. "But I couldn't just leave you to be embarrassed by your jerk of a boyfriend." I nod and try for a smile, but I'm pretty sure I look more like I'm in pain.

He lets out a small laugh and takes my hand. "I'm Percy."

I blink a few times, trying to register what exactly just happened. In front of me is a tall kid, probably in his early twenties. His long raven-black hair is a mess and he appears as if he just came from a crazed mob of fans. But his eyes. His eyes are the most perfect shade of green, and they shine like he's just won the lottery. A nervous laugh escapes my lips.

"Annabeth," I shake the hand that is holding mine.

"Well then, Annabeth," Percy picks up a menu and starts to read. "Would you like to order?"

…

As awkward as the circumstances are, Percy is actually pretty fun. He's funny and sweet and I find him easy to talk to. We order the exact same thing, which is surprising, considering I'm extremely picky when ordering food. When it's time to order drinks though, he orders a blue coke. I guess even the most ideal guy has to have some quirks, right?

"So Annabeth," Percy says through sips of his drink. "It only seems right that I get to ask you some questions. I _am_ pretending to be your boyfriend."

I nod and let out a small laugh. "And for that, I thank you."

"My pleasure." He shoots me a lopsided grin, and, not gonna lie, my heart skips a beat.

"So," I say casually, twirling my straw between my fingers. "What would you like to know?"

Percy taps his chin and his nose crinkles up. "Favorite color?"

"Grey."

"Do you have any pets?"

"Nope. Not one."

"Major?"

"I'm double majoring in Architecture and Education."

"Ooh. Wise girl, huh?"

I laugh. "I guess you could put it that way."

"Alright," Percy says, looking directly into my eyes. "One more question."

"Go for it."

"What kind of trash guy are you dating that would leave you here all alone?"

My heart sinks as I ponder his question. Why _did_ Luke ditch me? I want to think he has a legitimate reason, but I'm honestly not so sure.

"I'm sure he just forgot," I say, trying to hide my disappointment. "He's extremely busy."

"Too busy for you? His own girlfriend?" Percy looks at me and I can see that he feels sorry for me.

"He's...no," I suddenly feel the need to defend him. "Luke is a good guy. He loves me. This rarely happens."

Percy stares at me for a long time before saying, "Well, he must be a pretty great guy if he's got you."

The next few moments of silence are unnerving. I feel my face grow hot and I can tell Percy is running out of jokes to tell.

"I've got to go," I say quietly. "Thank you, Percy. Really."

He smiles. "Anytime, Annabeth. Anytime."

…

Percy insists on paying the bill, even though I practically beg him not to. I thank him again and again, then walk outside. I reach into my bag for my keys. They aren't there. _Dammit, Annabeth. Where are your keys?_ It takes me an embarrassingly long time to remember I took a cab to the restaurant. Luke was going to drive us back to his apartment where I was going to stay the night. I let out a huge, frustrated sigh. _Well, shit. Nice going, Annabeth._

"Annabeth?" I turn to see Percy standing behind me, a hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's just, um…" I shove back my hair and try to look calm. "Luke was going to drive me home."

"Oh," Percy walks over to me. "I can give you a ride. I don't live too far from here."

"Are you sure?" I'm starting to feel really bad that he has to keep helping me. "You really don't have to. I can just call a cab."

"I don't mind one bit," A small smirk crosses his face. "I kind of like being your fake boyfriend."

I laugh and take his arm. "If you say so, Romeo."

And we walk, arm in arm, to his car.

 **For those of you who are reading this for the first time: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this rollercoaster. Don't be afraid to leave feedback! xo**

 **For those of you who are now reading this for the second time and wondering why the hell you had to read it again: Yes, I'm aware that this is the second time I've posted chapter one. I'm trying something new here and I'm currently in the proccess of updating the story. Don't worry! New chapters are coming!**

 **xoxo**

 **B**


	2. Chapter 2

"Stop here," Percy pulls up to my apartment building. "Thanks again. You really are a lifesaver." I reached for the door.

"Wait!" Percy waves his hands in a panic so I stop moving. "The night isn't over yet!" And noticing my look of confusion, he adds, "Let me get the door for you."

I can't hide the smile that crosses my face as Percy practically runs around the car to open the door for me.

"Madame," Percy bows and offers me his hand. Now time I _really_ can't hide the smile, or the laugh that goes with it.

"Thank you, kind sir," I say as I step out of the car and Percy is laughing with me. I look behind him and see that the light in my room is shining through the window. _I could've sworn I turned that off…_ I snap back back as Percy shuts the passenger door.

"I can't thank you enough, Percy. I appreciate it."

Percy shoots me a grin. "Of course, Annabeth. As much as I enjoyed this night, I hope you never have to end up in this situation again." Percy reaches for my hand.

''Thank you, Percy. For everything." I give his hand a squeeze and walk to my apartment.

…

I reach my door and rummage through my bag for my keys. I don't really have to, though, because I'm greeted at the door.

"Hey, babe!" Luke grabs my face and kisses me in a forced, sarcastic gesture.

"Luke!" I hold onto his arms to steady myself. "What are you doing here?"

"Surprising you," Luke says. He flashes me a smile, but there's something behind it…

"Well I'm certainly surprised." I step around Luke and place my things on the table.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Luke's smile dissolves.

"Of course," I stand up on my toes and kiss his cheek. "I just wasn't expecting you to be here."

I kick off my heels and drop onto the couch. Grabbing a blanket, I curl up and pat the spot next to me. I look up to see if Luke is coming to join me, but he hasn't moved. He's just standing there.

"You weren't expecting me?" Luke laughs. "You weren't expecting me?"

"Luke," I sit up straighter. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" Luke slams his hand down on the table. "Of course I'm not okay! My girlfriend only just pulled up with another guy and pretended it didn't happen. I'm doing just great, Annabeth. Fucking fantastic!" Luke starts pacing across the kitchen, his face turning red.

"Luke," I say, standing up. "Luke, listen. I promise it's-"

"It's not what it looks like?!" Luke laughs again. "Oh really? Because it looks like you just went out with another guy! I come to surprise my girlfriend on our anniversary and what do I find? She's outside holding hands with another guy. You slut!"

I stand there, frozen, as Luke rushes forward and grabs a fistfull of my hair.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Luke, I-"

His hand hits my face hard. My jaw drops and I shove Luke off of me.

"Babe." Luke's hand shoots to his mouth in realization. "Babe, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I swear. I'm so so sorry."

Luke takes a step closer to me and reaches for the stinging handprint on my cheek. I step back, my heart racing.

"I think you should go."

"Wait no. Listen to me. I can explain." As Luke gets closer, I walk further and further back. "Babe. I'm sorry. I really am." My back hits the wall.

"Luke. Just go."

Luke opens his mouth to say something then closes it again.

I watch him leave. The second the door shuts and I slide to the ground, burying my face in my hands. _Luke hit me. Luke just fucking hit me._ The confusion, frustration, and anger is overwhelming. Luke and I have been together for three years. How could this happen? I can't hold it in any longer. I let the tears roll down my cheeks, unable to do anything.

…

I wake up on the couch, still in the dress from the night before, with a throbbing headache. My hair sticks to my face and mascara stains my cheeks. I push back my curls and make my way to the kitchen. I can only manage to pour a small cup of coffee. I still can't understand why Luke would do cush a thing. Every part of me wants to curl up in bed and stay there all day. _Like that's gonna happen…_

I reach for my bag and find my phone. Five missed calls and six texts from Luke. I listen to a few of the voicemails, but I'm tired of hearing that he is 'so sorry, babe' and that he will 'never do it again.' I still can't believe that he left me alone at dinner and put the blame on me. _You have to tell him, Annabeth,_ I tell myself. _You need to tell that son of a bitch what he did to you!_ After thinking about it for a while, I decided I would much rather have a conversation with someone else.

 **I hope you don't hate me too much...Reviews are always appreciated. :)**

 **Thank you all again for your patience with the update of this story. Don't worry! New chapters are on their way!**

 **xoxo**

 **B**


	3. Chapter 3

The trees outside are waving in the wind, the birds are singing, and I'm ready to start a new day. Tired and still very confused, I had call up my most fashionable friend, hoping to find a distraction from the memories of the night before. I think long and hard about what to wear, something I normally never do. Standing here, looking in my mirror, I want to be unforgettable. Finally deciding on an outfit, which consists of a pair of heels I practically have to blow the dust off of, I'm ready to go out.

My radio is playing its usual romantic hits as I drive towards the mall. I listen to a few before realizing I have absolutely no interest in hearing them at all. I flip through station after station until I find one playing rock, a genre which reminds me of an old friend. Now _this_ I can handle. I get into singing them and, at a few red lights, solo on my most prized instrument: the air guitar. I'm in the middle of jamming out to "We Will Rock You" in the mall's parking lot when a knock on my window nearly gives me a heart attack.

"Piper!" I roll down the window and cover my beet-red face with my hands. "Please tell me you didn't see that."

"Oh, you bet I did," Piper says, pushing back her small braids and wiping away a tear. "I was peeing in my pants out here laughing at you!"

I jump out of the car and wrap her into a hug. "We'll have to make it a duet next time," I offer as we walk into the mall. "You are getting pretty good at those air drums."

Piper laughs. "I've been practicing!"

Piper and I walk through the mall, pointing out cute tops and stylish shoes. She even finds me a pair of black platform heels _covered_ in gold spikes. Much to my disagreement, she forces me to try them on. They are surprisingly comfortable, but I won't buy them, despite Piper's pleads.

After hours of shopping, we stop for lunch at pizza place just outside of the mall. I go in and order so we can take it back to my apartment and watch some horror movies while Piper waits outside. When I get out, I see her staring under the hood of someone's car.

"Hey, Pipes!" She turns to see me and knocks her head on the hood.

"Ow!" she rubs her head. "Beth, don't you know something about cars? This guy just can't get his to start."

I walk over to help out and I'm greeted by a familiar, lopsided smile.

"Annabeth?" Percy's grin widens when he sees me. "Long time, no see!"

"You know this guy?" Piper looks back and forth between us, waiting for an answer.

"Percy," I shake my head. "What did you do to your car?" I hand off the pizza and Piper takes that as her cue to meet me back at our cars.

"Well," Percy says, scratching the back of his neck. "It's perfectly fine."

"I don't understand." s _Percy on drugs? Maybe drunk?_ "Percy, do you need a ride?"

"No," He says, blushing slightly. "I saw you walking in and hoped I would catch you on your way out if I pretended my car was broken."

"Well, it worked."

"I was regretting not asking for your number after our 'date' last night."

I open my mouth to reply but he says, before I can say anything, "I know you have a boyfriend, but I had a pretty fun time. As friends."

I a grin spreads across my face. "I couldn't agree more."

…

I slip into my car, an unmistakable smile on my lips. Piper hands me my pizza and munches on her own plain slice.

"So," she says between bites. "How do you know Mr. Sexy Hair?"

I roll my eyes and reply, "Just some guy I met yesterday at the restaurant."

"'Just some guy?' He's _way_ too hot to be 'just some guy.'" She wiggles her eyebrows at me. "Is he your side hoe?!"

I nearly choke on pepperoni. "Piper!"

"What?" She says, completely serious. "He's beautiful. And those eyes!" I can't help but laugh at the expression on her face.

We finish our pizza while jamming to Piper's new favorite album. I dance along with her, killing it on my air guitar, but I can't get Percy out of my thoughts.

…

We decide that horror movies aren't what we want to watch after all. It's definitely more of a cheesy romance night. We reach the door of my apartment, laughing about something stupid Piper's boyfriend did. I unlock the door and we walk in.

"Annie, is it your birthday?" Piper asks, gazing around the room in shock.

I follow her eyes and I'm just as surprised myself. There are at least six bouquets in my kitchen. Piper rushes in and admires every single one. I hesitate before following her, reading the notes that went with each.

 _Just because I love you._

 _Please forgive me._

 _I'm sorry. I love you._

 _I saw these and thought of you._

 _Please don't be mad. I love you._

 _xoxo Luke_

"These are so cute!" Piper dances around the room, putting flowers in her hair and filling up vases for the ones that aren't knotted into her braids. "He must've really pissed you off."

I sit down at the table, trying not to think about the previous night. But it is too hard with the six reminders in front of me. Absentmindedly, I touch the soft bruise on my face.

"You okay, Annabeth?" Piper asks. "You're not listening to me."

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. "Sorry." I try for a smile. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying how lucky you must be. Jason never does anything this elaborate." She sits down in the chair across from me. "What did he do?" She leans forward, waiting to hear the juicy news. "So?"

"It really wasn't anything that bad," I lie. "He just showed up late to dinner on our anniversary. I may have gotten a little angrier than I should have."

Piper leans back in her chair, obviously no longer intrigued. "He must be pretty sorry…" She trails off to look around at the flowers once more, adjusting the way they're placed on the table. They'll be moved later anyway, but she doesn't know that. "Movie?"

I nod and head towards the couch. Just then, the doorbell rings. Piper waves me on while she sets up the television. I open the door and there stands Luke.

 **Luke is back! Sit tight! Good shit is coming your way! :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **xoxo**

 **B**


	4. Chapter 4

"Luke." It comes out as a whisper. Unable to move, I look up at his face.

I can tell he's been crying. His eyes are red and swollen and he looks like he hasn't slept in days. Without a second thought, I reach up and pull him into a kiss. He stiffens at first, but then melts into it, his hands cupping my jaw. In that very moment, I forget everything. I'm with Luke. Nothing else matters.

After what seems like ages, I pull away, flattening my feet on the floor. Luke looks at me, his eyes screaming apologies. He squeezes his eyes shut and presses his forehead to mine. His tears fall onto my cheeks.

"Annabeth," Luke speaks softly, his head shaking. "I'm so sorry."

I place my hands on his shoulders and plant a kiss on his cheek.

"But never make me feel like that again." Luke's grip on my face tightens as he leans in to whisper the last word. "Never."

"Luke," I step back as tears sting my eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't know what I was thinking. Please don't be mad. I'm sorry, Luke. I'm sorry."

He pulls me into a hug and says into my hair, "It's okay, Beth. It's okay."

…

Luke somehow convinces Piper to leave and he watches the movie with me instead. Tired, I lay down in his lap and he traces patterns on my back. The movie didn't even start to get interesting before I doze off. Luke carries me to my room, tucks me in, and climb into bed with me. I curl into him, my face on his chest. Luke holds me close and in that moment, I fall in love with him all over again. I feel safe in his arms.

…

I wake up to an empty bed. Luke is nowhere to be found, and, after turning over to check my alarm, neither is my phone. I roll out of bed and make my way to the kitchen. Luke is sitting shirtless at the table, hunched over some coffee, his hair a mess.

"Morning, babe." I ruffle his hair on my way to the coffee.

"Who's Percy?" Luke looks up at me, a sharpness in his voice.

"Percy?" I ask, fear creeping up my body.

"He really likes texting you." My phone shatters as it fall from Luke's hand and hits the ground. He stands up and I instantly feel like a child with him towering over me.

I step back and run into the counter. "He's no one. Luke I swear it's not what you think." I'm shaking now, my knuckles turning white from my grip on the countertop. He steps closer, slowly. I flinch as his coffee mug drops to the floor and shatters.

"Not what I think?" Luke's face was beginning to turn red. "Oh, Beth. It's exactly what I think." He takes another step forward, trapping me against the counter. "Want to know what I think?" Luke grabs my face and forces me to look up at him. "I think you need to be punished for doing something so horrible." Anger drips from his voice and I lose it. Tears stream down my face and I can't keep myself from shaking. Luke throws me to the side and my head hits the countertop. I crumble to the floor as Luke digs his foot into my side. "Why would you do this to me, Beth?!" He slaps his hand across the counter, knocking everything off. I throw my hands over my head and cry out as hot coffee and glass come crashing down on me. Luke storms off, knocking down chairs in rage. "You had this coming, you fucking slut!" He doesn't look back before slamming the door.

It takes a few minutes of sitting in shock before I can process what just happened. I pull my knees into my chest, crying. The kind of cry that makes your shoulders shake uncontrollably. The kind of cry where you can't breathe and you can't move and you feel like you're going to die. So I just sit there: burnt, bruised, and bleeding.

 **You all must hate me for doing this to poor Annabeth. But I promise, its about to get better!**

 **Thanks for reading! :)**

 **xoxo**

 **B**


	5. Chapter 5

I wake up on the floor of my kitchen. I try to stand and instantly regret it. Pain shoots through my body and tears spring to my eyes. I crawl over to the table, careful to avoid spilled coffee and glass, and pull myself onto a chair. I close my eyes and try not to think about what just happened. Luke hit me. _Again._ Why?! I didn't even _do_ anything! Anger fills my hurting body and the tears are coming back.

A buzz pulls me out of my raging trance. I look down to find my shattered phone, Luke's name flashing on the screen. Unsure of what to do, I decline the call. Almost immediately after, he calls again. And again. And again.

I get so fed up that by the fifth call, I yell into the phone, "Fuck off, Luke!" and bury my face in my hands. It's becoming too much for me to handle. I should've known the "I promise I won't do it again" was bullshit. I want to curl up into a ball and disappear. I want to cry until there's nothing left. I want Luke to go away and never talk to me again. But more than that, I don't want to be alone.

I have no idea what to do. I can't call Piper. Although she is the first person to pop into my head, she'd be able to see right through me. And I really don't want her to get involved. I want to talk to someone who doesn't know me well enough to do that. So I decide on the next person to cross my mind: Percy.

I reach for my phone and hesitate. _Percy_ is _kind of the reason Luke is angry. Is this even worth it?_ After thinking about it some more, I pick up the phone. _Fuck it._ I open up the phone app to search for Percy's name. All of my recent calls are staring at me. Percy's name catches my eye. The look of confusion on my face soon turns to horror as I realize what I've done…

 _Shit!_ "No no no no no…" I'd answered a call from Percy, not Luke. _I just told Percy to fuck off._ I'm shaking. This is the last thing I need. I don't know if I'm about to make things worse, but I redial his number. It rings and rings and rings. After a while, I'm sure I've offended him. _There's no way in hell he's gonna pick up. He probably never wants to speak to me again._ I'm about to end the call when he picks up.

"Annabeth?" Percy's voice is far from angry. I sigh in relief. Maybe I didn't fuck up after all. "Uh...hello?"

"Percy, I'm so sorry," I start. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I really didn't. I thought you were Luke. I'm so so sorry. Please don't be mad. I don't want you to fuck off."

After I say it, I realize how fast I had been talking. And that I'd started crying again. On the other end, Percy is silent. I can't do anything but sob uncontrollably.

"Annabeth," Percy says softly. "Is everything okay? Are _you_ okay?" His voice is so full of concern, so gentle and caring, much different from Luke's. "Annabeth?"

"I-" Even more tears spill down my cheeks. I can't even speak a few words. I'm falling apart.

Percy doesn't ask again. "Hang on, Annabeth," he says. "It'll be okay." Then, he hangs up, leaving me crying alone in my kitchen.

…

I don't know how long it is until I hear a knock on my door. I had cried until there were no more tears and now I'm just shaking. I haven't moved; I'm still sitting at my kitchen table. I'm staring blankly at the wall when I hear the knock. I don't move. The knock comes again, louder this time. I still don't move. I sit in silence, listening.

"Annabeth?" The person outside knocks a third time. I want to get up, to see who it is. But I can't. It's as if I were made of stone. The door creaks open and I turn to see who it is.

Percy. He's wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, his hair a disheveled mess. He has a bag over his shoulder but as he meets my eyes, sees what a mess I am, he drops it. He closes the door gently and walks over to me. He kneels in front of me. "Annabeth," he says, the worry even more visible now. "What happened?"

I can't seem so say what I'm thinking and I'm overwhelmed. I completely break down. My never-ending tear ducts open up and I cry. Percy reaches up and pulls me towards him. I collapse into his embrace and fall forward into him. Percy holds me in his lap, stroking my hair and rocking slowly. He hugs me as I clutch his sweatshirt so tightly my knuckles turn white. We stay like that, on my kitchen floor, until I fall asleep.

…

I open my eyes and I'm in my bed. There's a wet towel on my head and Percy is sitting beside me. I try to sit up, but everything hurts. I look down at my arms sprawled across my abdomen. I'm _covered_ in bruises and cuts. I fight the urge to cry again. I'm already embarrassed that Percy, someone I barely know, had to see me like this. Crying again would just make it all worse. I force myself to look up at him, rebellious tears threatening to roll down my cheeks. He smiles at me, but there's sadness behind it. And worry.

"I can go if you want me to," Percy says. He suddenly seems uncomfortable, as if he'd just asked me an extremely personal question. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I should've asked before doing anything I-"

"No." I grab Percy's wrist. "Don't leave." My hand slides into his and my cheeks feel hot and wet. "Please." I'm practically begging, but I don't care. Everything about Percy screams 'good' and 'comforting' and 'safe.' I can't be here alone. Not now. Not like this. "Please stay."

"Okay." Percy relaxes a little and gives my hand a squeeze. I take in everything: the disheveled mess on Percy's head, the warmth of his hand, the softness of his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand, the wrinkle of concern between his eyebrows, the muscles in his arms. I look down at myself, noticing I'm not in the same shirt I was before. It looks like it could be one of Percy's. In any situation, I'd have been mortified. But this? This feels so safe. I pull Percy closer until his face is inches from mine. I reach up slowly and lace my fingers through his hair. Percy has one hand holding himself up over me and with the other he follows the lines of my jaw with his fingertips.

"Annabeth." It comes out as a whisper. "Annabeth, we can't do this." He sits back, his face painted with pain. "I want to. God, I want to so badly. But I can't help you cheat. I can't"

"Please." I find his hand and hold it tightly between mine, my eyes stinging. "Percy, please." Everything pours out of me into my pleads: my anger, my frustration, my confusion, my love. I have no idea what I'm doing. But in this moment, I'm not thinking about Luke. I'm not thinking about the bruises or the cuts. I'm not thinking about the consequences. I'm not sure if I'm thinking at all.

Percy lets me pull him back into me. He lays down on his side and cups my face in his hand. I lean in and put my lips on his. The kiss is soft and salty from my tears, but it sends sparks down my spine. Percy slides his hand down my side and I see fireworks. I press myself into him, closing the space between us. Percy looks at me, full of desire. I'm positive I look the exact same way. And then I'm kissing him and he's kissing me harder and there's nothing holding me back.

 **Finally. The Percabeth. You're welcome.**

 **Thanks for reading yet another chapter. (I don't know how you're doing this.) Love you all. :)**

 **xoxo**

 **B**


	6. Chapter 6

I can hear the beating of Percy's heart, feel the rise and fall as he breathes. Everything about this moment is comforting. My face is pressed against his bare chest, his hand resting softly on the small of my back. I know I should feel bad, but I don't. Not while wrapped in Percy's arms as he sleeps. Not while the heat of the kisses we shared still burns on my lips. Percy, the boy I just met two days ago, came to my apartment just because he sensed something was wrong. He knew exactly what I needed, what I wanted, without having to ask me. And Luke couldn't even show up to our anniversary dinner.

A tear rolls down my cheek and splashes onto Percy. His breathing pattern changes slightly and he puts a hand to my hair, playing with stray curls around my face. I look up at him. His eyes seem to be miles deep, swirling with greens and blues. I push myself up and press my lips to his, more tears falling onto his face as my eyes squeeze shut.

"Hey," Percy says quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "You're gonna be okay. It's all gonna be okay." He kisses my forehead, wiping the tears from my lashes.

"How do you know?" I sound childish, but I don't care. I'm scared. I have no idea what to do. All I know is that I want to stay like this, right here with Percy's arms around me, for the rest of my life.

"Annabeth," Percy says into my hair as he pulls my face into him. "I'm here now. I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" I nod, believing that Percy could really make everything alright, protect me from Luke, and allow myself to drift off to sleep.

…

When my eyes open again, the clock reads 2:37. I hadn't even realized how much of the day had gone by while I was sleeping. I must've missed lunch, and I know I didn't have breakfast. I'm about to ask Percy if he was hungry when someone's stomach growled.

"Sorry," Percy mumbles, his face still in my hair. I sit up and rub my face. I reach over and grab a t-shirt, one of Percy's I think, and pull it over my head.

"You could've gotten up, you know," I say to Percy who is stepping into a pair of sweats.

"And wake you up?" Percy shakes his head. "Absolutely not. You needed every second of that." A mischievous look crosses his face (God, why does he do that to me) and he adds, "Well, maybe not every second."

Percy's face turns a bright shade of pink as I make my way over to him. I kiss his nose. "Every single second." I ruffle his hair and walk towards the kitchen.

The smell of cold coffee reminds me of the mess before I even see it. I stop in the doorway and stare at the mess of glass and coffee and bloodstains and disheveled furniture. Percy comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me before dropping his chin on my head.

"I say we get out of here. Brunch on me?" I turn to see the face of a purely compassionate human being. I love every single part of him.

"Isn't it a little late for brunch?" I tease, messing with his already ratty hair. "I think it qualifies as a late lunch."

"Linner?" Percy suggests.

"Linner." I can't help but smile as he leans in for a kiss.

I melt into it, my hands finding his hair, then mapping out every inch of his back. He plays with the hem of my shirt, fingertips brushing up against my side. A soft groan escapes Percy's lips (or maybe that was me) and I can feel the heat between us rising. Percy pulls back a bit, studying my face, following my jawline with his fingertips.

"We'll never make it to linner if we do this again," Percy laughs and his grumbling stomach ruins the mood yet again.

…

We eat our food, french toast for me and blue pancakes for Percy. No not blueberry. Blue. _Seriously?_ I look up from my cocoa and notice Percy's face. He's staring at me, brows knitted together in confusion. I reach across the table and give his hand a squeeze. He gives me a sad smile in return.

"What's wrong?" I ask, thumbing over the back of his hand.

"I'm just thinking," he says, sighing.

"About what?"

"This."

"What about this?"

"Annabeth," Percy takes my hand in both of his. "I loved every moment I've spent with you. But you're with Luke. And I'm not going to do this to you. I can't."

I'm shocked by his thoughts, but he's right. I hadn't really thought at all this morning. I let my impulses take over. "I'm sorry," I start. "I shouldn't have-"

"Don't," Percy cuts me off. "Don't apologize." I nod, because I understand. Being with Percy was, and still is, magical. I don't regret a single thing. Now, though, I'm lost. I don't know what to do. "I don't want to make you choose," Percy says. "But we need to figure this out. I just don't want to make this any more difficult for you."

But I know what I want. I want Percy. I want to spend time with him. I want him to hold me, to tell me everything is going to be okay. The only thing stopping me is Luke. I'm afraid of what he'll do to me. Or worse, what he'll do to Percy.

 **Alrighty. Chapter six. Hope y'all enojyed it... ;)**

 **Sorry this was so short...I promise the next chapter will be longer.**

 **Thank you for even reading this far. It's honestly so great to know that people actually like, well, put up with my stories. So thank you. Again. Remember: your comments are always appreciated.**

 **xoxo**

 **B**


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